Arthur Murray Owners Merge Parenting with Dance School Success
(PRWEB) January 30, 2017 -- Chris and Daisey Lynam, who started as dance partners and are now married with four kids, own five Arthur Murray Dance Studios in Northern California. Four of those locations ranked in the top 12 in the world in 2016: Hayward, Livermore, Redwood City, and Walnut Creek.
The pair have been business owners since 2003 when Daisey purchased the Arthur Murray location in Hayward, California with a credit card advance and the remainder of her savings account. Within two years, the Hayward studio would grow to become one of the top 10 Arthur Murray locations worldwide.
In 2008, Chris and Daisey opened Arthur Murray Livermore, and within 60 days of opening that studio (and finding out they were expecting their first child), they were presented with the opportunity to purchase Arthur Murray Redwood City. The studio had been slated to be shut down, but it became the number one Arthur Murray location in the world within two years after reopening.
Arthur Murray Walnut Creek was opened in 2011, and the couple reopened Arthur Murray San Francisco in 2015, a decade after it closed its doors. They also helped some of their managers become new Arthur Murray franchisees and assisted them in opening the Fremont, Millbrae, and Stockton locations. Along the way, the couple had a few more kids as well.
This achievement carries as much significance for each individual studio as it does for the collective group. For Walnut Creek, this is particularly special considering that their top executive and teacher transitioned to open the Arthur Murray location in Stockton. Redwood City understands this all too well, as both of their managers left to open the Arthur Murray location in Millbrae in 2015. For Livermore, this was their first year finishing in this top group within the company and is a credit to the cohesiveness of the staff and the growth and support of the student body. Finally, Hayward is where everything began. The Hayward location is where many of the current managers and new franchisees originated, yet it has remained a top 12 ranked studio since 2004.
“People always ask if we get any sleep and fortunately, we stopped doing that when we started having kids. We get a lot done at all hours of the day,” says Chris, who also serves up daily dance advice on the company’s blog on the Arthur Murray Website.
Daisey, who teleconferences with her management team daily, offered her own insight. “In 2003 there wasn’t Facebook, and I didn’t even know how to attach a document to an e-mail, so it’s a lot easier in this day and age to be a nursing mom and business owner with technology like video conferencing.”
The reason for all of this is simple to the Lynams – legacy. “We are part of a company that’s over 100 years old, and we were entrusted with carrying on the legacy of Mr. Murray for the next 100 years. Ballroom dancing has truly changed our lives and we want to do the same thing for others.”
About Arthur Murray Dance Studios
Arthur Murray started teaching dance in 1912 at the Grand Palace in New York City. He began selling branded dance lessons through franchising in 1925, when he opened his first dance school. Now, the iconic ballroom dance franchise has nearly 300 locations over 6 continents.
chris lynam, Arthur Murray Dance Studio, +1 (510) 537-8706, [email protected]
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